This invention relates to a disposable oxygenating device.
In the post operative treatment of patients, it is usually desirable to supply oxygen or oxygen enriched air to a patient for a period of say 5 to 15 minutes to assist in reoxygenating the patient to offset the effects of the anesthetic. Usually oxygen is available in recovery rooms from suppliers which are capable of delivering oxygen at a rate of about 4 to 6 liters per minute. Unfortunately this is less than the rate of inspiration of a typical adult patient. Some attempts have been made to provide an oxygen storage device which can store oxygen from a relatively low capacity supply so as to be able to deliver the oxygen or oxygen enriched air to the patient at a relatively high rate during inspiration.
An object of the present invention is to provide a disposable oxygenating device which is capable of delivering oxygen or oxygen rich air to a patient at relatively high flow rates.
According to the present invention there is provided a disposable oxygenating device comprising a body and a collapsible bag coupled thereto, the body including at least first, second and third openings, the first opening being couplable to a source of oxygen, the second opening being couplable to an endotracheal tube or a laryngeal mask or the like, and the third opening being in fluid communication with the interior of the bag. The arrangement is such that in use oxygen enters the body through the first opening and fills the bag so that during the inspiration cycle of the patient, oxygen stored in the bag can be rapidly delivered through the second opening to the endotracheal tube or the laryngeal mask
The invention also provides a disposable oxygenating device comprising a body and a collapsible bag coupled thereto, the body including first coupling means being couplable to a source of oxygen, second coupling means being couplable to an endotracheal tube, laryngeal mask or the like, a connector to which the bag is connected, an oxygen duct in fluid communication with the first coupling means having an outlet orifice which in use delivers oxygen from the source of oxygen to inflate the bag with oxygen, and an outlet, the arrangement being such that, in use, during an inspiration cycle, oxygen from the bag passes through the second coupling means and, during an expiration cycle, expiration products pass through the body and are expelled through said outlet.